This work traces the "civilizing" of manners in Western Europe since the Middle Ages, and shows how this was related to the formation of states and the monopolization of power within them. Originally published as two volumes: "The History of Manners" and "State Formation and Civ…
From nineteenth-century paintings of Arab marauders to our current fascination with New Age shamanism, Root explores and explodes the consumption of the Other as a source of violence, passion, and spirituality. This fascinating book raises important and uncomfortable questions a…
This online edition was reviewed and selectively updated by the original author in 2011. "Covering all aspects of mythology, this Companion includes essays on the world's major mythological traditions (Greek, Native American, Indian, Japanese, Sumerian, Egyptian), along with re…
Features stories of revered deities, sacred places, key events and epics, with many recurring themes and traditions. Addresses the key mythologies of the regions we now call India, China, Tibet, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Japan; broad overviews of specific cultures and th…
Tradition, by esteemed sociologist Edward Shils, was the first book to fully explore the history, significance, and future of tradition as a whole. Intent on questioning the meaning of the antitraditionalist impulse in today's society, Shils argues here that the tendency to dist…
